Sheet-metal conductor for roofs



Patented Feb. 12, 1924.-

UNITED STATES 1,483,320 PATENT 1 OFFICE.

GEORGE x. 'rnomPsoN, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 'ro IIOYT Marni. COMPANY, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

SHEET-METAL CONDUCTOR FOB ROOFS,

No Drawing. Application filed January To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, GEORGE K. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States of America, a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve-l ments in Sheet-Metal Conductors for Roofs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to sheet metal articles for conducting water on and from the roofs of buildings, and has for its object to produce such articles from material not heretofore employed for their manufacture, .and by the use of which material I am enabled to provide Water conductors, leaders and protective covering, employed in connection with roofs, which are less expensive'than those made of other metals heretofore commonly used to derive durability, and which, for durability, far surpass materials such as sheet iron, either galvanized or tinned.

The conductors made in accordance with my invention, and which may be in the form of gutters of eave, valley or other type, down spouts, or other sheet metal conducting members upon or leading from the roofs of buildings; are made of What is commercially known as antimonial lead, i. e. lead with an antimonial content therein.

It is impracticable to produce conductors for roofs made of lead alone, due to the softness of this metal and the .consequent tendency of a. conductor made therefrom to sag or buckle under strains and stresses, without greatly increasing the thickness or wall over that I, by my invention am able to use, but by introducing into the lead a substantial content of antimony I am enabled to produce a water conductor for roofing and water conductors for leading water from roofiiig which will resist strain imposed thereon, for the reason that the antimony lends hardness, stiffness and rigidly and greatly lessensexpansion andcontraction when mixed with lead to form an alloy of the two metals.

It is important that the amount of antimony mixed with the lead to form the alloy from which by conductors are madebe of the proper proportion relative to the pro- 9, 1920. Serial No. 550,463.

portion of lead, in order that the desired hardening efl'ect produced by the antimony will be acquired, inasmuch as an insufficient proportion of antimony will not afford the necessary rigidity or stability to withstand the strains imposed upon such conductors, while, on the other'hand, the proportion of antimony must not be so great as to render the alloy too brittle to withstand strains of manufacture of it into sheets for the production of the conductors, and also to withstand service strains without fracture.

The percentages of antimony and lead I have found to give the most satisfactory results are eight per cent of antimony to ninety-two per cent of lead, although it may be possible to increase these percentagesto ten per cent of antimony and ninety per cent of lead. I prefer, however, to use the first named proportions, although I may use a less percentage of antimony or a higher percentage thereof, as may be found practicable, provided the percentage does not exceed ten per cent of antimony and the balance of lead. I

Conductors made in accordance with my invention are equally durable with those of lead alone, or of greater,- durability than those made of other metals used'for the purpose, for the reason that they will last indefinitely, and furthermore, painting of the conductors made in accordance with my invention is unnecessary for durability as is required to. preserve the life of conductors made of sheet iron.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a sheet metal conductor for the purpose described composed. of lead and antimony, the

antimonial content in said article being not in excess of ten per cent,

2. As a new article of manufacture, a sheet metal conductor for the purpose described composed of lead and antimony, the antimonial content in said article being more. than 7 percent and less than 10 per cent.

3. As a new,article of manufacture, a sheet metal conductor for the purpose described composed of antimony 8 per cent and lead 92 per cent.

In testimonythat I claim the foregoing I I hereunto affix signature.

GEO GE K. THOMPSON. 

